CPower found itself in a rare situation on the company’s first day in 2014.
Having formed when two established energy management companies combined businesses, CPower opened as a standalone “restart” in 2014 with just over 80 employees wondering about the future and more than 1,500 commercial customers in need of stellar customer service.
Undaunted, CPower’s leadership had a vision for the company and the position it would take in a rapidly evolving industry.
Ideas & Storytelling listened to CPower’s ideas about how their team members were what set them apart from the technology-focused competition.
We analyzed the evolving marketplace and complex regulatory landscape that oversees it, earning ourselves what felt like a doctorate degree’s with of knowledge in a semester of time.
Then we formed a belief system. The energy industry was amidst a transformative period unlike any in the history of the modern electric grid. CPower, with its growing team of experienced professionals, possessed the nuanced wisdom customers craved during this pivotal moment. They would become the trusted energy guides who would help the nation’s large-scale commercial and industrial organizations across the Bridge to Energy’s Future.
Next, we went to work creating stories that positioned CPower as the foremost thinkers in the energy management industry, indispensable partners whose trusted guidance helped the electric grid evolve to a cleaner, more dependable energy future and allowed organizations to maximize their energy assets.
The Beginning
First 100 days – Creating a Marketing Infrastructure
Prior to its first official day as a new company, we set out to help CPower gain the knowledge needed to get off the ground and effectively tell its story to customers and team members. To do this, we immersed ourselves in CPower and executed a 100 Day Launch Strategy that included:
Team Member Experience Interviews and Surveys
We traveled the country to meet with many of CPower’s team and interviewed them about their work and what makes CPower challenging and special. We also deployed a team member survey that has been repeated each year since to keep a finger on the pulse of morale among team members.
Customer Interviews and Surveys
We also spent time talking to many different types of CPower customers to learn why they chose CPower. Customer surveys helped establish CPower’s Net Promoter Score (NPS), which has risen steadily each year since the company was formed.
Marketing budget and staffing requirements
We walked our own talk for a spell, running all of CPower’s marketing efforts before creating a complete plan the company used to slowly build its marketing team from within.
First company meeting
Part of our 100 Day Launch Strategy included bringing the company together for its first-ever All-Hands Company Meeting. A company with team members working throughout the country, CPower strives each year to come together for a day of learning, inspiration, and camaraderie.
Growth Plan
The CPower Growth Plan was the crown jewel of our 100 Day Launch Strategy. More than just a marketing plan, the Growth Plan became the star by which CPower continues to guide itself to this day.
The CPower Story: Toward a Purpose-Built Brand
CPower’s first year as a company was action-packed. We rode the roller coaster, helping the company achieve its vision to become a leader in its industry.
The Nucleus: an online hub for culture and training
The Nucleus is where CPower team members go to learn how to become better CPower team members. This site, accessible only by team members, is the home of all custom training and content related to culture building.
Root Storytelling guide
Before CPower (or any company) can tell its story to the world, its team members must first learn to tell their story to themselves. The Root Storytelling Guide is a tool for doing just that–telling the company story in any environment or situation.
Brand Standards
CPower’s established brand standards not only help the company stand out from the competition, but they also bear the hallmark values that define the company today.
First Company Sales Deck
Armed with the knowledge to help CPower tell its story to customers, we created the first of many sales presentation decks that have helped CPower grow its customer base to become one of the biggest players in its industry.
First Website
We also launched the first company website. More than just a brochure in the cloud, CPower’s site was and continues to be a multi-media, lead-generating machine.
First Marketing Plan
With a critical understanding of itself and with key tools in place, CPower was ready to take on the marketplace. We helped craft a robust marketing plan that played to the company’s strengths as thought leaders and customer-focused devotees.
First Company Acquisitions – Public Relations and Team Member Management
CPower has proven stellar at growth through acquisition, acquiring key companies that have allowed CPower to expand its core offerings. At each acquisitional milestone, we’ve handled the public relations and helped ensure that existing CPower team members understand what to expect, while new team members are welcomed with open arms.
Recruit Marketing Director
After nearly two years of Ideas & Storytelling running CPower’s Marketing Department, it was time for the company to hire its own Marketing Director. We helped find and hire the perfect professional to help CPower surpass its company goals.
Growth & Change
CPower has grown to become one of the leading solutions providers in the energy industry. Along the way, we’ve helped them adapt to their success so they can grow into the future and beyond.
The Current
A leading publication in its industry, The Current is chock-full of articles, videos, and more about the latest insights on the US energy markets. All articles are authored by CPower team members and display their incomparable knowledge as subject matter experts and thought leaders.
The State of the Demand-Side Energy Management in North America Book
CPower’s annual volume of energy market analysis is the keystone piece of content in the company’s arsenal of lead-generating content. Downloaded by more than 1,800 organizations each year, the book has earned a reputation as a must-read in the energy industry.
More than a tagline, a noble cause in print: The Bridge to Energy’s Future
Right now, the electric grid is undergoing the most significant transformation in the history of electricity as it evolves toward a cleaner, more dependable, and sustainable future. CPower guides its customers across the bridge to energy’s future.
What’s Your Organization’s WattPotential?
Every commercial and industrial organization has a potential–a capacity to use its suite of energy assets to help the grid evolve from where it’s been to where it’s going. At CPower, we call this WattPotential™ and we’ve been helping organizations harness it for over two decades.
EnerWise: A Suite of Energy Management Products
CPower created EnerWise, a sophisticated suite of demand-side energy management asset tools.
We named it and explained to the world it’s what happens when Artificial Intelligence Meets Energy Wisdom.